The Towpath Diaries: Rest

Some people use the Towpath for nice, slow leisurely walks or as a social time. Some people use the Towpath to take pictures of the scenery or the wildlife. Many people use the Towpath as a path for exercise. The Towpath supports all of those. But there are also places where you can stop and enjoy the beauty of this place. I like to stop and observe the people fishing in the Cleveland Metroparks.

Yesterday, I was up in this area as it was just a beautiful day. I stopped around this same area and just meditated on its tranquil beauty. Usually I have my tunes on but it was best at the time to take the headphones off and just listen. Much of this area in the Cleveland area of the Metroparks is industrial, but yet it still is spectacular.  There is a place where a railroad bridge spans high above and I like to just listen to the sounds of the train as it goes by.

But without a doubt, my favorite place of rest is the town of Peninsula, population 565. Peninsula sits in the middle of the national park. It has two stop lights, a bunch of little shops, two restaurants, and Century Cycles. At one point, it was a bustling canal boat stop—home to several mills, stone quarries and boat yards, five hotels and 14 bars until 1887. You can still see the remnants of multiple factories in Peninsula. Over 20 places are listed in Peninsula from the National Landmark of Historic Places. I always find the name rather odd as it isn't a true peninsula. One of my favorite memories is when we had an office in Peninsula.

Deb and I occasionally would take a bike ride and we would stop at the Winking Lizard and have lunch. Usually we would have something that would just sit heavy in our stomach like a burger which did not help the rest of our ride. But boy it tasted good going down.

Rest is a word embedded in the Bible. God rested on the seventh day (Gen. 2:2). Was He worn out and needed the break? No, He was establishing a pattern for the work cycle. We can't just work, work, work without taking time to stop, pause, and reflect. That is what God was doing; reflecting on the creation that He had just made.

Rest is also a word used to describe the endless ceasing of works to try to establish ourselves as good in front of a holy and righteous God and other people. Unlike the temporary rest of stopping from labor, this is a permanent rest. I think of someone who is endlessly striving to exercise to keep their body in tip-top shape. But no matter how much you exercise, you can't stop the cycle of bodily degeneration. It is a striving that is useless (I am not against exercise, believe me). Jesus said you can enter into His rest (Matthew 11:28-29) which means the permanent rest that comes from believing in the grace of God through Jesus. The concept of rest is a theme repeated and expanded in Hebrews 4.

The process of rest is still purposeful. Deb's folks had a sign at their summer cottage which said "Come and rest awhile". It is an invitation. You have to come and take what is already yours for the taking. We feel good when we offer to do the dishes after a meal and the host or hostess just says "I've got it, just rest". But we have to accept the invitation to rest. Are we prepared to do this?